Electric-conductor take-up.



D. G. LAMB.

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR TAKE-UP.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1913.

1, 1 06,82 1, Patented. Aug. 11,1914.

c'g- 1. ,q Kg. 2 74 1 5 'lifil llfi G. EARELE, 339 IEITMPAlf-EEE, IXUJLlil-Ek, ASSIGNOR T0 LAMB BROS. & GREENE, UF

isocssnron, :tn'nmno,

A CGRIEOEA'EFIOH 91: INDIANA.

ogaplicetion filed Beccinher i, 1913.

Specification of Letters Potent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID C. Lenin, a citizen of the United. SMtlQS, and a resident of lleppimoc, Elkhort county, in the State of lndionc, have invented a new and. useful lniprovement in Electric-Conductor Toke- Ups, of: which the following is o specifics.- tion.

This inventionrelates to recls and containers for the flexible connecting cords or conductors of electric lights and fans, vocuum cleaners, telephones, and other port oiile olectric apparatus.

it relates especially to the electromechoni col construction of the reels or toke-ups of such devices; on?v the improved take-up is adopted for both ceiling or Wall .conminers, those which. form port oi the portable apparatus, as the hollow base or" a table lamp.

The loo log object is connecting cord when electric article is not in use. The cord for, in case of ceiling orusll containers, consists of the iucosed pair of sepsretely insulated wires leadingto and from the lamp socket or its equivalent; in the case of a container forming t ot the portable apparatus, it consists cl prolougotions of the pair of insulated wiresnvithin the electric conduit, leading; to and from the recl. or take-up.

T distinguishing objects the present invention are to facilitate attaching and detaching ooth cords at the reel or take-up, so to meet the requirements of dealers: to render the device secure against danger from sparking, so ments of tire underwriters; and to i'i the construction at once s .nplc and ell'ectn'e by limiting all the principal parts oil insulating material, especially vulcanized lilocr.

The improved takc-un is thus adopted to diil'ercirt color or of greater to take cure of: a long the lamp or other have cords of 1 coi'icluctivity or lcugtl: imperfect electrical contacts; and u superior article may he made and sold it a low price.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations of ports, hereinafter particulurly described and claimed.

A sheet of (lifz'tVWlDgS accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure i represents a side View as to rivcct the rcquiro.

quickly substituted ing" attachment embodying the improved take-up, partly in section; Fig. 2 is an elevotion projected from 1.,Wlt-l1 the shell of the container detached; Fig. 3 represents a. section on. the line A--B, Fig. 1; Fig. t represents a, section on the line 0-D, Fi 2; Fig. 5 is o perspective View of the bracket shown it the bottom in Fig. l, detached; fiend '2' are perspective views of a do too mhlc spool member exposed is Y detaching said bracket; Fig. 8 is a View of a detachable Wire boil or pliers for withdrawing said spool member; and Fig. 9 is an elevation of a. portable lamp representing a modification.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

lfhe container, 0 or a, of the improved reel or take-up, Z), or 0 may be of any desired external shape and material. it is usually metallic as represented in Fig. l excepting.

it top or bottom disk and o. cord-hole hushing, represented respectively at 1 and 2, both of which, as accessories of the improved takeuip, are preferably and conveniently of insulating materiel. This material and all insulating material hereinafter referred to is preferably and conveniently vulcanized fiber or fiber ooui'd Attached by three screws 2-, 4t and 5, to said disk 1 (Figs. 1 and F2), the reel or take-up proper of the main species, represented as a Whole by 0, is lo- "oted Within the contaii'ier c or a and concealed thereby. Said screws 3 and 4: permanently attach the major part of tho take up; and said screw 5 attaches a detachable T, shown detached by Fig. 5, and is t to only s on which need he rcinoved when it is desired to detach either or both cords 1. and 2, from the exposed talioup. The respective cords l and. 2 are attached to suid bracket (3, and to a detachable spool member, 7, which is shown detached by Figs. 6 and T. The body of said bracket (3 is of insulating matcriol, as i that of said spool member 7; and the latter is normally located- Within :1

spool 8, which spool is wholly of insulating nmteriol. All electric contsctsrsrc thus located Within said sleeve of insulating; matcrizil, and any danger from sparking is precluded. The body of an axial spindle, 9, which extends through the space Within said sleeve and through said bracket 6 and momoil' a ceil-- her 7, is also made of insulating material.

chamber formed by the sleeve oi. the take-up- The cord 1' is carried through a hole 10, Fig. 5, in the bracket 6, and bifurcated, a sullicient length of its respective insulated Wires having been freed from the customary outer covering common. to both, and the barcd extremities of the respective Wires are screw-clamped in electric contact with the knees of a pair of contact springs, 11, 13, which project from the back of the bracket. Said springs, 11, 13, contact 're' spcctively at their extremities with metallic rings, 12, 14, forming crown flanges on the outer face of said member 7, as shown in Fig. 6, and extended through to the back of the same, as shown in Fig. 7. where the bared extremities of the bifurcated inner end of the cord 2' are screw-clamped thereto. Compare Figs. 1 and 4. To facilitate so attaching the cord 1 to the bracket 6, it is only necessary to detach the bracket by removing said screw 5. To facilitate removing the spool member 7 to expose its back, the inner contact ring 14 on its face, which is exposed by detaching the bracket (3, is provided with diametrically opposite holes, 15, Fig. 8, fitted to the jaws of a detachable bail or pliers, 16, Fig. 8, which is conveniently formed of wire as shown. It a cord-is to be detached from the spool, it should first be slackened to facilitate pulling a sufiicient length of the cord 2 through the hole, 17, Fig. 1, in the sleeve of the spool 8, through which the cord extends outward.

The spool 8 is normally looked, as is custernary, by a self-releasing device, 18, 19, 20, the members of which are shown in Fig. 3. The movable members of this device are pivoted to a plug 8 (of insulating material) within said sleeve ofthe spool 8, the stationary member, 18, being fast on the adjacent surface of the housing, 21, of the customary winding spring, 22, Fig. 4. The inner spring end is attached to a 'short metallic spindle, 23, which forms part of the spindle 9, and is coupled to the adjoining end of the spindle body of insulating material within the same, and said spring 22 retates the spool 8 through the medium of said spindles 23 and 9, when the spool is re-- leased; the latter being accomplished by a quick jerk on the cord 2' in customary'manner. A metallic knee, 24, which may be integral with said housing 21, interacts with the attaching screws 3 and 4; and a smallerl metallic knee, 25, inseparably attached to,

the body of the bracket, 6, interacts with the attaching screw 5.

In said main speciesf represented by Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, the cord 1 extends to the bracket 6 from the electric conduit through a hole, 26, Flg. 1,

in the disk 1 of the container a, and the cord 2 extends from the spool 8 through the bushing 2 to the lamp socket or its equivalent, said bushing being located centrally at the extremity of the container.

To the modification represented by Fig. 9, the container forms the base or a part of the base of a portable lamp, and the cord hole provided with the bushing 2 is or may be located in the side of the container as shown. Vlhen the improved take-up is thus combined with an electric apparatus, the cord 2 is provided with a suitable plug d, Fig. 9, and connects the spool. 8 with the conduit wires; while the cord 1 extends from the. bracket (3 to the lamp socket, or its equivalent, of the portable apparatus. The reel or take-up b, Fig. 9, including its said spool 8 and bracket (3, is of the construction more particularly described herein with reference to the reel or take-up 0, Figs. 1-7.

For the purposes of this invention the Winding spring and self-releasing detent may be of any known or improved construction; and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said. improvement,

I claim as my invention, and desire to patout under this specification:

1. An electric conductor take-up having, in combination with two flexible cords each com rising a pair of insulated Wires a retata le spool of insulating material having an apertured sleeve portion and a chamber within the same, a bracket which closes one end of said chamber and supports that end of the spool, said bracket having" a body of insulating material, and electrical connections carried by said spool and said bracket, respectively; said electrical connections comprising contact springs projecting endwise within said chamber to which the bifurcated inner end of one of said cords is electrically connected, and metallic rings concentric with said spool forming crown flanges adapted to contact with the extremities of said springs respectively and electrically connected with the bifurcated inner end of the other of said cords.

2. An electric conductor take-up having, in combination with two detachable flexible cor each comprising a pair of insulated wires, a rotatable spool of. insulating material having an apertured sleeve portion and a chamber within the same, a detachable bracket which normally closes one end of said chamber, and supports that end of the spool, said bracket having a body of insulating material and contact springs projecting endwise "from its back to which the bifurcated inner end of one of said cords is electrically connected, and a removable spool member normally located within said chamher having a body of insulating material'pro-v vided"w1tl concentric metallic rings forming crown flanges on the outer face of said member, adapted to contact with the extrenr ities of said springs, and extended through to the back of said member, and means for electrically connecting therewith the bifurvided With cated innerend of the other of said cords which extends outward through the aperture of said sleeve portion of the spool.

3. The combination, in an electric conductor take-up, of a rotatable spool of insulating material havingan apertured sleeve portion and a chamber within the same, a detachable bracket which normally closes one end of said chamber and supports that end of the spool, said bracket having a body of insulating material and contact springs projecting endwisc from its back and adapted for the attachment thereto of the respective wires of a connecting cord at said back of the bracket, a removable spool member normally located within said chamber having a body of insulating material provided with concentric metallic rings forming crown flanges on the outer face of said member adapted to contact with the extremities of said springs and extended through to the back of said member, and means for electrically connecting therewith the respective wires of another connecting cord; one of said rings being adapted for the temporary attachment thereto of means for removing and replacing said spool member.

4. The combination, in an electric conductor take-up, of a rotatable spool of insulating material havingoan apertured sleeve portion and a chamber within the same, a de-,

tachable bracket which normally closes one end of said chamber and supports that end of the spool, said bracket having a body of insulating material and contact springs projecting endWise from its back and adapted for the attachment thereto of the respective Wires of a connecting cord at said back of the bracket, a removable spool member normally located within said chamber having a body of insulating material provided with concentric metallic rings forming crown flanges on the outer face of said member adapted to contact with the extremities of said springs and extended through to the back of said member, and means for electrically connecting therewith the respectivewires of another connecting cord; one of said rings being prodiametrically opposite holes, whereby it is adapted for the temporary attachment thereto of means for removing and replacing said spool member.

5. In combination with two detachable cords each comprising a pair of insulated Wires, a cord reel and container, the former comprising a rotatable spool of insulating material having an apertured sleeve portion and a chamber within the same, a rotatable spindle having a body of insulating material fast within said spool and extending axially therethrough, a winding spring and automatic controlling means connected mechanically with said spindle, means for supporting said reel within said container, includ-- ing a detachable bracket having a body of iiisulating material and contact springs on its back to which the respective wires of one of said cords are electrically connected. and a removable spool member normally located within said chamber having a body of in-=ulating material provided with conclj-ntric metallic rings on its outer face adapted to contact with said springs. and extended through to the back of said member, and means for electrically connecting therewith the respective wires of the other of said cords which extends outward through the aperture of said sleeve portion of the spool.

6, In combination with two flexible cords each comprising a pair of insulated wires, a cord reel and comainer the former comprising a rotatable spool of insulating material having an apertured sleeve portion and a chamber within the same, a bracket which closes one end of said chamber and supports that end of the spool, said bracket having an apertured body of insulating material and contact springs on its back to which the respective wires of one of said cords extending through said bracket are electrically connected, and a spool member within said chamber having a body of insulating material provided with concentric metallic rings on its outer face adapted to contact with said springs, and extended through to the back of said member, and means for electrically connecting therewith the respective wires of the other of said cords, which extends outward through the aperture of said sleeve portion of the spool; said container having an apertured disk of insulating material through which the first named of said cords extends from an external conduit and by which said reel is supported, and a metallic shell having a cord hole provided with a bushing of insulating material through which the second cord extends from the spool to a lamp socket or the like, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

DAVID C. LAMB. 

